Cardio workouts are one of the most essential workouts for any workout routine. They not only ensure significant weight loss but also improve the health of your heart and lungs. If you’ve ever been to the gym or tried a cardio workout at home, you will realize that cardio workouts are extremely difficult to complete. This generally happens because in such workouts you run out of oxygen faster than you imagine and therefore, you feel that you might quit it for good.

So, have you ever thought about reevaluating your fat loss cardio workout plans? When it comes to doing cardio workouts for burning fat and weight loss, long durations of aerobic activity such as running, walking, jogging might not help you to strengthen and tone your muscles. It might help you to burn fat but it will hinder the growth of your muscle.  

So, here are some of the unconventional HIIT cardio workouts ranging from Tabata, plyometrics to boxing which will not only help you burn fat but will also ensure physical well-being along with toning and strengthening your muscles. These are the cardio workouts that you can do at home without actually doing the cardio workouts with any sort of equipment.

7 Unconventional Cardio Workouts for Weight Loss

Here are some unconventional cardio workouts for weight loss:

1. Dancing

Dancing is one of the fun cardio workouts to lose weight and also feel the adrenaline rush in your veins. Take up any style, hip-hop, contemporary, ballet, your muscles are sure to get a treat and get toned. In addition to that, blood circulation will be improved throughout the body along with improving flexibility.

Whoever said that one can’t have two birds with a stone?

Any workout you do, you will see its effects not only on your physical health but also your mental health. And so it is with dancing. It will help you to relieve stress and unencumbered all the pressure that you are burdening on your shoulders.

2. TABATA

Tabata workouts were first discovered by Dr. Izumi Tabata who is a Japanese scientist. Along with his team, Dr. Ixumi conducted his research and concluded that doing High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) is more effective to increase your aerobic and anaerobic systems than a one-hour workout.

For those who don’t know, Tabata training refers to doing any cardiovascular workout for 20 seconds constantly, followed by 10 seconds rest and then repeating the entire process seven times. So, you are approximately doing the workout for just 4-5 minutes.  

Doing just 4 minutes of Tabata can help you to decrease your weight more significantly, increase your VO2 max and help you rest the metabolic rate faster effectively than a 60-minute workout. Although the 4 minutes might sound shorter, when you do it, you will count every second. You have been warned!

3. Climbing Stairs

If you are living in a flat or in a house which has lots of stairs, perhaps this is the right time to use it for good. Climbing stairs is by far one of the unique cardio workouts for weight loss especially when you are falling short of finding time from your busy schedule.

You can choose to climb stairs whenever you want to go out instead of choosing the elevator. This will be a good exercise that will get you going for the entire day and you don’t have to worry about scheduling time for the gym or working out separately.

4. Plyometrics

For those who don’t know, plyometric exercises or plyos, are the exercises which generally include jump training, pushups, throwing, running, etc. These are exercises where the exertion of muscles with force happens in short intervals of time. Consequently, your muscles are toned faster and you can build strength easily.

Plyos are generally included in the H.I.I.T cardio workout routine of athletes, martial artists, sprinters, and high jumpers. Plyometrics help you to increase force generation and help you activate your muscle fibers. Plyometrics also bolsters excess post-exercise oxygen consumption which makes sure that you burn calories even after you are done with your fat loss cardio workout plan or routine.

To create a plyometric fat loss cardio workout plan, all you need to do is perform 10-20 reps of an exercise, take 20 seconds of rest in the interval, and directly shift to the next exercise. Make sure that you do a proper warm-up of your muscles before you begin your workout and perform a full-body stretch after you are done with your workout.

5. Marching

Marching is one of the best cardio workouts for weight loss as it is the middle way between running and walking. For those who can’t run for miles and fall short of oxygen very quickly, marching is the best remedy. In addition to improving your lung capacity, it also ensures the health of your heart and guarantees stability.

It also helps you to maintain a balance between the flexors and glutes of your right and left sides. Marching helps you to lose weight faster and gets your body toned within no time.

6. Boxing

Boxing is the best way to build your muscle strength and lose weight at the same time. The jabs and punches in a continuous motion help you to build stamina and is a perfect way to strengthen and tone your arms.

These are some of the unconventional cardio workouts for weight loss that you can try at your home. You don’t need to go to your gym; just doing these 6 cardio workouts will help you to not only lose weight but improve blood circulation throughout your body, ensure the health of your heart and maintain physical as well as mental strength.

Apart from physically working to get your body in shape, it is necessary to be mindful of what you consume every day. The best way to galvanize your weight loss process is by accompanying your cardio workout with a macro diet. A macro diet involves consuming macronutrients such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in a proportionate amount.

Also Read: Ultimate Weight Loss Workout Plan